Bears linebacker Roquan Smith has requested a trade out of Chicago, according to a statement released Tuesday via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
The request comes after contract extensions negotiations between the fifth-year player and the franchise have grown stagnant, leading Smith to believe that the new leadership in Chicago “doesn’t value” him appropriately.
“The new front office regime doesn’t value me here,” Smith wrote in the statement, per Rapoport. “They’ve refused to negotiate in good faith, every step of this journey has been ‘take it or leave it’. The deal sent to me is one that would be bad for myself, and for the entire LB market if I signed it. I’ve been trying to get something done that’s fair since April, but their focus has been on trying to take advantage of me.
“I wanted to be a Bear for my entire career, help this team bring a [Super Bowl] back to our city. However, they have left me no choice than to request a trade that allows me to play for an organization that truly values what I bring to the table.
“I haven’t had the chance to talk to the McCaskey family, and maybe they can salvage this, but as of right now I don’t see a path back to the organization I truly love.”
Smith has been among the best Bears defenders in recent years, as evidenced by his appearance on two straight second-team All-Pro selections in his last two seasons. In 2021, he racked up a career-high 163 combined tackles, which ranked him fifth in the league among all players.
However, Smith’s current offseason has been overshadowed by the lack of extension offer that he deems acceptable. The 25-year-old has sat out of practice since training camp began nearly two weeks ago, after Chicago reportedly offered him a backloaded contract that wouldn’t make him the top-paid linebacker in actual salary, according to Rapoport.
Bears first-year general manager Ryan Poles spoke with reporters on Tuesday afternoon to address Smith’s trade request. In the brief press conference he maintained that he fully intends to sign the All-Pro linebacker, while also keeping the long-term future of the organization in mind.
“Right now, my intention is to sign Roquan to this team,” Poles said. “We’re gonna take it day by day and at the end of the day we got to do what’s best for the organization. But my intention are to make sure Roquan Smith is on this team.”
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